A revealing examination of demographic data shows a country that bears little resemblance to the 1950s era that bequeathed its housing and transportation models to current generations.
Hamilton Lombard digs into recently released U.S. Census data to reveal an interesting characteristic of contemporary American life: living alone is now the most common form of household.
Lombard notes that the rise of living alone came amid a remarkable decline in the household arrangement most closely aligned with perceptions of the home: two parents with children.
"In 1950, over half of all households consisted of two married parents with children. By 2014 that portion had declined to less than a quarter of U.S. households. The actual number of households with two spouses and children was smaller in 2014 than in 1980, despite the total U.S. population growing by over 40 percent during the period. Given the scale of the change, the decline in family households is arguably one of the most significant demographic trends over the past few decades."
After breaking down additional data to shed light on the trends in households, Lombard also makes the following prediction relevant for planners and policy makers looking to prepare for the country of the future: " the typical U.S. household will increasingly look more like those in television shows such as 'Sex and the City' and 'Golden Girls' than the households portrayed in 'Modern Family.'"
FULL STORY: As families decline, living alone is now the most common type of household

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie